Bostonia. Volume 15

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

Meeting report:Fungal genomics meets social media: Highlights of the 28th fungal genetics conference at asilomar

International audienc

Densely sampled phylogenies frequently deviate from maximum parsimony in simple and local ways

Why do phylogenetic algorithms fail when they return incorrect answers? This simple question has not been answered in detail, even for maximum parsimony (MP), the simplest phylogenetic criterion. Understanding MP has recently gained relevance in the regime of extremely dense sampling, where each virus sample commonly differs by zero or one mutation from another previously sampled virus. Although recent research shows that evolutionary histories in this regime are close to being maximally parsimonious, the structure of their deviations from MP is not yet understood. In this paper, we develop algorithms to understand how the correct tree deviates from being MP in the densely sampled case. By applying these algorithms to simulations that realistically mimic the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, we find that simulated trees frequently only deviate from maximally parsimonious trees locally, through simple structures consisting of the same mutation appearing independently on sister branches.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, submitted to RECOMB 202

RNA dependent DNA synthesis in cell free preparations of human leukemia cells

A cell free preparation of human leukemic cells, grown in tissue culture, incorporated H3-thymidine phosphate into an acid insoluble product which was rendered acid soluble by the action of DNAase but not KOH or RNAase. RNAase, if added before incubation of the reaction mixture, prevented incorporation of the isotope into the product. For maximum incorporation Mg and all four deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates must be present. The enzyme has the properties of an RNA dependent DNA polymerase.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/33705/1/0000217.pd

Human rabies postexposure prophylaxis during a raccoon rabies epizootic in New York, 1993 and 1994.

We describe the epidemiology of human rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) in four upstate New York counties during the 1st and 2nd year of a raccoon rabies epizootic. We obtained data from records of 1,173 persons whose rabies PEP was reported to local health departments in 1993 and 1994. Mean annual PEP incidence rates were highest in rural counties, in summer, and in patients 10 to 14 and 35 to 44 years of age. PEP given after bites was primarily associated with unvaccinated dogs and cats, but most (70%) was not attributable to bites. Although pet vaccination and stray animal control, which target direct exposure, remain the cornerstones of human rabies prevention, the risk for rabies by the nonbite route (e. g., raccoon saliva on pet dogs' and cats' fur) should also be considered

Aquatic community response to volcanic eruptions on the Ecuadorian Andean flank: evidence from the palaeoecological record

Aquatic ecosystems in the tropical Andes are under increasing pressure from human modification of the landscape (deforestation and dams) and climatic change (increase of extreme events and 1.5 °C on average temperatures are projected for AD 2100). However, the resilience of these ecosystems to perturbations is poorly understood. Here we use a multi-proxy palaeoecological approach to assess the response of aquatic ecosystems to a major mechanism for natural disturbance, volcanic ash deposition. Specifically, we present data from two Neotropical lakes located on the eastern Andean flank of Ecuador. Laguna Pindo (1°27.132′S–78°04.847′W) is a tectonically formed closed basin surrounded by a dense mid-elevation forest, whereas Laguna Baños (0°19.328′S–78°09.175′W) is a glacially formed lake with an inflow and outflow in high Andean Páramo grasslands. In each lake we examined the dynamics of chironomids and other aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms to explore the effect of thick (> 5 cm) volcanic deposits on the aquatic communities in these two systems with different catchment features. In both lakes past volcanic ash deposition was evident from four large tephras dated to c.850 cal year BP (Pindo), and 4600, 3600 and 1500 cal year BP (Baños). Examination of the chironomid and aquatic assemblages before and after the ash depositions revealed no shift in composition at Pindo, but a major change at Baños occurred after the last event around 1500 cal year BP. Chironomids at Baños changed from an assemblage dominated by Pseudochironomus and Polypedilum nubifer-type to Cricotopus/Paratrichocladius type-II, and such a dominance lasted for approximately 380 years. We suggest that, despite potential changes in the water chemistry, the major effect on the chironomid community resulted from the thickness of the tephra being deposited, which acted to shallow the water body beyond a depth threshold. Changes in the aquatic flora and fauna at the base of the trophic chain can promote cascade effects that may deteriorate the ecosystem, especially when already influenced by human activities, such as deforestation and dams, which is frequent in the high Andes

Medical Care Capacity for Influenza Outbreaks, Los Angeles

In December 1997, media reported hospital overcrowding and “the worst [flu epidemic] in the past two decades” in Los Angeles County (LAC). We found that rates of pneumonia and influenza deaths, hospitalizations, and claims were substantially higher for the 1997–98 influenza season than the previous six seasons. Hours of emergency medical services (EMS) diversion (when emergency departments could not receive incoming patients) peaked during the influenza seasons studied; the number of EMS diversion hours per season also increased during the seasons 1993–94 to 1997–98, suggesting a decrease in medical care capacity during influenza seasons. Over the seven influenza seasons studied, the number of licensed beds decreased 12%, while the LAC population increased 5%. Our findings suggest that the capacity of health-care systems to handle patient visits during influenza seasons is diminishing